Time for Bears' backups to 'make some money'

“Show Me the Money” comes from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire. “Make Some Money” originates out of Halas Hall this week.

Reed Schreck

“Show Me the Money” comes from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire. “Make Some Money” originates out of Halas Hall this week.

“With the injuries on defense, guys are going to have a chance to, what I call, make some money,” Chicago Bears receiver Muhsin Muhammad said. “Backup players will get a chance to come in and start and be seen by everybody. There are 31 other teams out there to say that guy can play, he can be a starter in the NFL.”

As many as seven Chicago defensive regulars from the season opener might miss Sunday’s game at Detroit. That means fans will learn a lot more about players such as Kevin Payne, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride and Brandon McGowan in the secondary; Anthony Adams and Antonio Garay at defensive tackle; Jamar Williams at linebacker, and possibly John St. Clair and Terrence Metcalfe on the offensive line.

Corners Charles Tillman (ankle) and Nathan Vasher (groin) and safety Adam Archuleta (broken hand) will either be out or limited. Safety Mike Brown and tackle Dusty Dvoracek already are lost for the season. Linebacker Lance Briggs (hamstring) and tackle Tommie Harris (knee) are hurting, along with offensive linemen Ruben Brown (ankle) and Fred Miller (knee).

“Unfortunately, we’ve had good players go down,” said Payne, a safety and fifth-round draft pick. “Guys are going to have to step up and make plays.”

Head coach Lovie Smith has said everyone on the roster is here for a reason. Just because some are rookies, such as Payne and McBride, doesn’t mean they can’t succeed.

“They made plays in the preseason, in training camp, they have athletic ability from watching them in college,” he said. “All the things we saw in college, we’ve seen so far with their practices — except for them playing in a game that matters.”

Put me in, coach, they say.

“I’ve got to carry things over from practice to the game,” said Payne, who has been limited to special teams.

Payne said he’s progressed a lot from the time he attended rookie minicamp in May to watching the first three regular-season games.

“There is so much you have to learn to take part in the Chicago Bears’ defense,” he said.

Tillman, hobbled by a high ankle sprain, isn’t concerned if McBride has to play more corner.

“He’s just going to keep doing what he was doing to get to this point,” Tillman said of the seventh-round selection from Mississippi. “He had a great training camp, he had some good OTAs (organized team activities). I’m telling you, he’s a future star on this team.”

Veteran safety Adam Archuleta said injuries are part of the NFL.

“You don’t want them to happen; you don’t want to be on a team where it happens,” he said. “It’s what we’ve got to do. We feel we have good depth, that the guys are going to play well, they’re going to step up.

“That’s what we need, to get it from everybody.”

Tillman found a bright side, saying they’re just getting their injuries out of the way now so they’ll be fine later.

“My spirits are always up, whether one guy goes down or four guys down,” he said. “It’s just a matter of when the second-string guy gets in there — that’s why we drafted you.”

Payne’s already thinking like a player with experience. He knows that chemistry and communication could be a problem with so many new faces in new roles.

“It’s an issue no matter who is back there,” he said. “The thing is, it’s not a bunch of new guys thrown together — we’ve been practicing together for three or four months. We’re all used to each other.

“We’re just going to be playing together in the game and not just at practice. That’s the thing.”

Reed Schreck is the NFL writer for the Rockford Register Star. Contact him at 815-987-1381 or rschreck@rrstar.com.

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